No Andy Farrell contact by England – Rugby News Update
Andy Farrell, the former England centre who recently quit his role at the Saracens as the first team’s coach, is rumoured to make a quick comeback into international rugby as a coach.
Prior to Mike Catt, the current England backs coach, Farrell was heavily linked with the position under Lancaster, who he had worked with during the 2012 Six Nations tournament. However, back in April he had stated that he wanted to see out his contract
with the Saracens, and was not contemplating joining England’s backroom staff on a permanent basis.
With his resignation, rumours are rife that he is set to join Lancaster, a rumour the head coach of England has fervently denied. Lancaster is currently in Durban, preparing for the first of three test matches against the Springboks this summer.
"He's made his decision (with Saracens) but I've not been party to that, I've been out here. I guess it will all unfold over the course of the next few weeks and when I get back I'll have a chance to sit down and look at it and find out exactly what the
situation is," he said on Sky Sports News. "Without doubt he's a coach I get on well with, he added value to the coaching team and if he's available, clearly I'll definitely be interested."
Lancaster has not closed the door on Farrell completely, saying that in the future he could work with the centre. He also added that he is in touch with Farrell, but only to take his opinion on Saracens' players that are on England duty.
Farrell cannot work in another capacity as a coach under the terms of his contract for six months. This means that the earliest he could join England is in November but if the Saracens agree to a compensation package, then it could alter the situation.
Farrell played rugby league before switching codes to the union. He played for England 8 times, making his debut against Scotland at Twickenham, on February 3, 2007 and played his last game against Tonga at Parc des Princes, on September 28, 2007.
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